Bouncing Back From Difficult Times

is the time right?

In all likelihood: no. True, interest rates are low and many venture capitalists are finally getting their toes wet again when it comes to financing projects, but the reality is that in this economy, the only certainty is uncertainty. That being said, should you have blind faith in your current predicament? Nope. Never underestimate the probability of your employer giving you the one-finger salute by sending you packing, so always have a sound exit strategy, a reliable backup or better yet: both.

your employer shafted you

Many did work at Enron, WorldCom and the like, and suddenly found themselves out of a job, without a paycheck and no real safety net to fall back on. How do you cope?

a clean slate

Surely, this does throw you for a loop but also offers you a fresh start. Stop laughing. Some times, you are better off having been cut loose because then and only then are you forced to take a step back and look at the big picture. If you have a big idea in the back of your mind, or something that keeps you up at night, then you must begin to think big, take a deep breath and simply go for it.

Admittedly, you can only pursue your dreams if you have some safety net. To many, this safety net comes in the form of a thorough education reinforced by solid experience. If you find yourself without the former, then perhaps the time is right for you to enter school. And enter the catch-22. Back when the economy was booming, many professionals could have — and in hindsight should have — had their employers financing their (further) education. The problem was that even partially leaving the growing economy created too many opportunity gains, had one left the arena to hit the books.

Today, while many have ample time to go back to school, the reality is that they may have to finance this themselves. Add to the mix both a rise in tuition and a desire by academic institutions to boost revenue, and you get an uphill battle for most regular joes.

to the joes in the audience

If you realize that education is simply impossible, then you might want to consider taking a job in a totally different sector. Notice the term "take" and not "land." Realistically, you might have to "settle" for a gig, but with the right outlook and work ethic, you can make the most out of any opportunity.

think big!

Ideally, some, if not most, of you are reading this and thinking, been there, done that, not again... Perfect!

Some of the most successful people in life never seized the opportunity the first time they could have. The reality is that in life, there are many off-ramps to consider. Eventually, you realize that you need to shift gears in order to attain the quality of life you aspire to. Sooner or later — and yes, for many people, never — you will have had enough of settling, waiting, and essentially, not being in control of your destiny. What is this magical opportunity that I am referring to? This isn't some infomercial, only you know.

It is never too late to pursue something you are passionate about. If the reality check of the 21st century will do anything, it will be, hopefully, to serve as the rude awakening you have needed all your life.

Independent of which crossroad of life you find yourself in, if you are reading this, then you are in the predicament of knowing that with reward comes a degree of risk. You have tasted the reward and maybe lost it; the time is now for you to properly hedge yourself in your new occupation, or alternatively, go on your own to strike the right equilibrium of risk and reward for you.